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enflamed by avarice; afk the fick man, SER M. where are the riches that can purchase

ease, or where is the power that can conquer pain? Then turn into thy own bofom and ask thyfelf, whether the things thou art fo warmly in pursuit of, are worth thy toil and affiduity? whether thou wilt be fure of happiness if thou haft them, or muft of neceffity be miferable. if thou haft them not? And above all, remember to ask thyfelf this important queftion, whether fuch poor and tranfitory blifs as they can afford, fhould be purchased at the dear expence of thy innocence and virtue?

But another and that no inconfiderable advantage arising from the practice of this duty, is that inward complacency and fatisfaction of our own minds, which it never fails to produce.

The

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The joy which arifeth from fenfual gratifications is momentary and tranfient, confined within the narrow limits of a fhort fruition; whilft the performance of this, and of every other focial virtue, carries with it a pleasing reflection that extends itself to futurity, and every time it recurs, creates fresh pleasure and added fatisfaction; to a mind therefore rightly difpofed, the house of mourning is a fairer habitation than the gorgeous tents of ungodlinefs the kind and benevolent repose themselves with as much ease on a bed of ficknefs, as on the couch of luxury and intemperance; in the cup of affliction there is always fomething sweet thrown in by the hand of Providence ; and the very tears of Virtue can adminifter more true and folid fatisfaction,

than Vice and Folly have it in their power to bestow.

Com

Compaffion, we muft acknowledge, is SERM.

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a debt which we all owe to our fellow. ~~ creatures when under the rod of affliction, and like other debts will always leave an uneafiness on the mind of every honeft and confcientious man, till he has faithfully difcharged it. But when it is paid as it ought to be, that self-applaufe and fecret fatisfaction which ariseth from it will make us ample retribution.

But if the motives of reafon and religion are not of themselves (and too often it happens that they are not) fufficient to perfuade us to the practice of this duty, that felf-love and felf-intereft which reign in every breaft, will most powerfully exhort us to the execution of it.

The tear which we refuse to shed over the miseries of others, God, and God

only,

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SERM. only, knows how foon we may ourselves

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ftand in need of: how often doth an unexpected stroke of fickness put an end to the enjoyment of every human happiness, and change the cheerful scene of joy and comfort into a melancholy state of mifery and defpair! In one day, nay in one hour, the luftre of the eye fhall be extinguished, the bloom of health fhall wither, and the voice of mirth and gladness fhall be fuppreffed. If therefore we do not vifit and compaffionate those who are in ficknefs and forrow, when we ourselves are overtaken by them, who fhall pity or compaffionate us? Then fhall we call to mind perhaps the afflictions of Jofeph, and fay as his brethren did, when they came into trouble: We are very guilty concerning our brother, in that we faw the anguish of his foul when he befought us, and would not hear, therefore is this diftrefs come upon us. ·

How

How great an averfion foever the

gay

and unthinking part of mankind may have to all that carries with it the appearance of grave or melancholy, it may notwithstanding with truth be afferted, that he who is a ftranger to forrow, is a ftranger alfo to the best emotions, the nobleft feelings which the human heart is capable of receiving.

There is, we must have obferved, in some perfons a remarkable tenderness of difpofition, and a delicacy of fenfation which those whom we falfely term the brave and refolute never experience; a difpofition which however we may fometimes ridicule and defpife, is what in the end will most intimately unite and endear them to us. Those qualities which in the wantonnefs of health and prosperity are apt to raise our laughter and contempt, in the hour of fickness or adver

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